Train stations in Japan are great for food, unlike most other places in the world. The recent renovation of Tokyo Station created a food destination out of a transportation hub. It is a really excellent placeto try a whole variety of food. Don’t underestimate the choices here. Many of these restaurants are hand-selected businesses that are famous throughout the city that were asked to open an outpost in the station.

This stretch of ramen restaurants on the basement floor of Tokyo station is awesome. Designed and built to highlight the best of Tokyo’s vast ramen scene, you could come here many times and eat something new and delicious every time. Offering everything from tsukemen (ramen noodles served with a dipping sauce) to hearty Sapporo-style ramen, each restaurant on ramen street is an outpost of a revered ramen joint somewhere else in the city, and was specially invited into this elite group. It is very popular and you will definitely be in line for some of these restaurants at almost every time of day. There is not one bad one though, so if you lose your patience and just need a hot bowl of noodles, just jump out of line and go the restaurant next door. Below are two that I love to get you started:

Rokurinsha

Tsukemen, which comes with the noodles in one bowl and hot rich salty broth for dipping, is the most popular right now of the Ramen joints in Tokyo Station.This Ramen Street favorite is always packed so plan ahead, come early to wait in line, which can take up to an hour, and be prepared to wait for this place if you have a hankering for tsukemen.

Hirugao

This shop specializes in Shio Ramen, a salt broth made from chicken, niboshi (dried sardines), and kaibashira. These bowls come with a delicious little gyoza dumpling, a sheet of nori, chashu (braised pork), and a soft boiled egg.